Film Reviews by PM

Most of Almodóvar's films have unusual themes and complicated story lines and this one is no exception. However in all the other films I have seen of his, either I'm happy to have suspended my sense of reason or the general weight of the plot has justified an imaginative treatment. But for some reason it didn't happen with this film. The story has no real weight to it and the imagery was altogether too perfect for me to extend my sense of reality to the level of artistic appreciation. There is a dark humour to it, perhaps I'm taking it all to seriously, and as a Hollywood drama it would probably be a lot better than most, but for European cinema it fell a little short for me.

Hard to overrate this film. Beautifully put together telling a characteristically unusual story with humour and sensitivity. At its heart is an exploration of what it means to be authentic. I particularly loved the soundtrack which discreetly created a fabulous tone throughout.

I had the good fortune to see this film not long after it was released and it made an indelible impression on me. I have to admit that the Cinema Paradiso version I have just rented ends in a substantially different way to the version that's embedded in my memory. It won't be the first time that my memory has played me tricks, but I would be interested to know if anyone else has the same experience.

Unlike some of Almodovar's other offerings, ( eg Women on the edge, & What have I done?) there is nothing farcical about the plot of this story. Although it's not without it's moments of good humour.

From the opening scene this is a film which challenges cultural assumptions about sexual behaviour and gender roles. It gives a contemporary illustration of Plato's principal theme in Phaedrus, the way in which "Love" (or, perhaps more properly; obsession), from well meaning intentions, can evolve into something injurious, and how this is not a matter subject to the control of individuals but is instead mediated by the powerful force of social convention. As with many of Almodovar's tales, it is an unlikely story, but never for a moment does the screenplay or the performance render it unbelievable. As with many other great films it resists any temptation to offer the audience a message, but attempts, succesfully IMHO, to present all the characters sympathetically and with understanding. The huge growth we have recently seen in the complexity of gender identity has perhaps made the film a little out of date, but that in no way detracts from it's value as a representation of the unseen forces that determine human destinies.

I lasted 20 minutes, couldn't watch it. It seemed to me like superficial self indulgent Americana. We can do this so we will. Maybe if I'd watched a bit longer there would have been something to redeem it, but I had no sense of any kind of plot or character development. Too many tired and frankly repulsive tropes to continue!

The film has a very promising beginning, introducing some interesting characters and developing some mysterious themes. There's quite a bit of comedy and almost every scene is characterised by an attention to detail which creates a profound sense of significance in the most incidental elements of the production. But sadly, for me anyway, the plot disappears up it's own back end. It's also too long for the story, and left me with an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. Maybe I watched it on an off day, but there is an interview with Johnny Depp included in the special features, and it sounds as if Kusturica was going through his own struggles during the making of the film.

Given the mixed reviews, the epoch of the film and the sensitive subject matter of the story I approached this film with a little trepidation and it wasn't until about half way through that I started to realise that despite all the tragedy it was really very funny. Watching a second time I realised what a lot I had missed because of my préjudices the first time round. Definitely worth hiring in my view.

There's nothing pleasant about this film, but in its simplicity I did find it easy and quite enthralling to watch. The ending came a little unexpectedly, but gave no relief from the sadness of the subject.

No doubt this film is (almost) in a class of it's own and worth watching just for that. Every scene carries a kind of majestic portent which keeps you guessing and engaged. Having read some reviews I did a bit of reading up before hand on the state of politics in Greece in 1936 and that certainly helped me to understand what was going on. But in the final analysis I found the film was rather too slow, unexciting and lacking in humour to rate it any higher. I wouldn't choose to watch it a second time.

The colour of pomegranates is, IMHO, a much better film, if you haven't seen it already. This film is altogether more dated and at times seems very contrived by comparison. But there are some very engaging moments and I found it interesting historically.

There's a certain timelessness to this beautiful film, due perhaps to the outstanding quality of the video format. Additionally there are three good length extra films included on the DVD, documenting the lives of the poet, the director and the fascinating history of the film itself. All in all a very worthwhile rental and one I would recommend to anyone interested in the development of Artistic cinema.

I was engaged by this film from beginning to end. The colour and glamour haven't faded at all, and as well as being a feast for the eyes, with some astonishing choreography and camera work, it tells a story which most of us could identify with. Dealing with the artists aspirations and failures and how his personal relationships determine his opinion of himself. It's also a window into the Bohemian attitude and culture, thankfully non judgemental, and how it interacts with the culture of the establishment. The dialogue too has not aged at all and remains lively, unpredictable and often very amusing. Highly recommended.

An intense movie, beautifully filmed in black and white. It explores, at times perhaps unwittingly, some of the clichés surrounding mental illness. At the time it was made LSD was certainly being used as an experimental treatment in some locations, and the professional boundaries which we take for granted these days were likely less evolved. There is no mention or inference about the details of medical treatment, but even so there are one or two scenes that smack of unbridled fantasy. But who am I to judge what may or may not have been likely in 1960's USA?

I found the first half hour a little slow, but the film became more engaging as the plot developed.

Unfortunately although the ending was probably a realistic kind of outcome, I found it difficult, abrupt and disappointing, and I wonder if it wasn't perhaps even a little moralistic. I didn't want to watch it again, even though the acting performances and cinematography were excellent.

This film had a great context; the Kurdish village and countryside were breathtakingly beautiful and unusual. But the storyline, although it had a "message", had no vitality and , for me personally, was stylistically unattractive. Presenting the inevitable conflict between maintaining tradition and embracing modernity, it was altogether too understated and left me feeling "Is that it then?"

3 stars for the beautiful photography

A monster that is difficult to take your eyes off, and it's also quite a size in more ways than one. If you have enjoyed other Wim Wenders films you will very likely enjoy this one. It's not quite as avant garde as "Wings of Desire" but has a lot more going on than "Paris, Texas". Great acting, great storytelling and great cinema. There are however one or two what you might call "continuity" irritations, which dent the plausibility of the storyline, but if you accept this as being one of the consequences of having an unlimited budget, then it is an opportunity to discover something also about the dynamics of film making.

I did watch it to the end, and the end almost redeemed the rest of it, but although it never quite descended into the the depths, nor did it ever really fly. I'm middle class white english, so it may be a cultural thing. For me the film was just too straight forward, no mystery, no guesswork and not much inspiration.